A Petition to Be Saved from Death.
A Song. A Psalm of the sons of Korah. For the choir director; according to Mahalath Leannoth. A [a]Maskil of Heman [b]the Ezrahite.
88 O Lord, the (A)God of my salvation,
I have (B)cried out by day and in the night before You.
2 Let my prayer (C)come before You;
(D)Incline Your ear to my cry!
3 For my (E)soul has [c]had enough troubles,
And (F)my life has drawn near to [d]Sheol.
4 I am reckoned among those who (G)go down to the pit;
I have become like a man (H)without strength,
5 [e]Forsaken (I)among the dead,
Like the slain who lie in the grave,
Whom You remember no more,
And they are (J)cut off from Your hand.
6 You have put me in (K)the lowest pit,
In (L)dark places, in the (M)depths.
7 Your wrath (N)has rested upon me,
And You have afflicted me with (O)all Your waves. [f]Selah.
8 You have removed (P)my acquaintances far from me;
You have made me an [g](Q)object of loathing to them;
I am (R)shut up and cannot go out.
9 My (S)eye has wasted away because of affliction;
I have (T)called upon You every day, O Lord;
I have (U)spread out my [h]hands to You.
10 Will You perform wonders for the dead?
Will (V)the [i]departed spirits rise and praise You? Selah.
11 Will Your lovingkindness be declared in the grave,
Your faithfulness in [j]Abaddon?
12 Will Your wonders be made known in the (W)darkness?
And Your [k]righteousness in the land of forgetfulness?
13 But I, O Lord, have cried out (X)to You for help,
And (Y)in the morning my prayer comes before You.
14 O Lord, why (Z)do You reject my soul?
Why do You (AA)hide Your face from me?
15 I was afflicted and (AB)about to die from my youth on;
I suffer (AC)Your terrors; I am [l]overcome.
16 Your (AD)burning anger has passed over me;
Your terrors have [m](AE)destroyed me.
17 They have (AF)surrounded me (AG)like water all day long;
They have (AH)encompassed me altogether.
18 You have removed (AI)lover and friend far from me;
My acquaintances are in darkness.
Footnotes
- Psalm 88:1 Possibly, Contemplative, or Didactic, or Skillful Psalm
- Psalm 88:1 1 Kin 4:31; 1 Chr 2:6; Ps 89: title
- Psalm 88:3 Or been satisfied with
- Psalm 88:3 I.e. the nether world
- Psalm 88:5 Lit A freed one among the dead
- Psalm 88:7 Selah may mean: Pause, Crescendo or Musical interlude
- Psalm 88:8 Lit abomination to them
- Psalm 88:9 Lit palms
- Psalm 88:10 Or ghosts, shades
- Psalm 88:11 I.e. place of destruction
- Psalm 88:12 I.e. faithfulness to His gracious promises
- Psalm 88:15 Or embarrassed
- Psalm 88:16 Or silenced
Cross references
- Psalm 88:1 : Ps 24:5; 27:9
- Psalm 88:1 : Ps 22:2; 86:3; Luke 18:7
- Psalm 88:2 : Ps 18:6
- Psalm 88:2 : Ps 31:2; 86:1
- Psalm 88:3 : Ps 107:26
- Psalm 88:3 : Ps 107:18; 116:3
- Psalm 88:4 : Ps 28:1; 143:7
- Psalm 88:4 : Job 29:12; Ps 22:11
- Psalm 88:5 : Ps 31:12
- Psalm 88:5 : Ps 31:22; Is 53:8
- Psalm 88:6 : Ps 86:13; Lam 3:55
- Psalm 88:6 : Ps 143:3
- Psalm 88:6 : Ps 69:15
- Psalm 88:7 : Ps 32:4; 39:10
- Psalm 88:7 : Ps 42:7
- Psalm 88:8 : Job 19:13, 19; Ps 31:11; 142:4
- Psalm 88:8 : Job 30:10
- Psalm 88:8 : Ps 142:7; Jer 32:2; 36:5
- Psalm 88:9 : Ps 6:7; 31:9
- Psalm 88:9 : Ps 22:2; 86:3
- Psalm 88:9 : Job 11:13; Ps 143:6
- Psalm 88:10 : Ps 6:5; 30:9
- Psalm 88:12 : Job 10:21; Ps 88:6
- Psalm 88:13 : Ps 30:2
- Psalm 88:13 : Ps 5:3; 119:147
- Psalm 88:14 : Ps 43:2; 44:9
- Psalm 88:14 : Job 13:24; Ps 13:1; 44:24
- Psalm 88:15 : Prov 24:11
- Psalm 88:15 : Job 6:4; 31:23
- Psalm 88:16 : 2 Chr 28:11; Is 13:13; Lam 1:12
- Psalm 88:16 : Lam 3:54; Ezek 37:11
- Psalm 88:17 : Ps 118:10-12
- Psalm 88:17 : Ps 124:4
- Psalm 88:17 : Ps 17:11; 22:12, 16
- Psalm 88:18 : Job 19:13; Ps 88:8; 31:11; 38:11